Is Your Car Making You Sick? Find Out Which Brands Are Most Toxic

I bought a new car last year, and I didn't think twice about whether my new vehicle would be a health threat. After all, it had airbags! And seat warmers! But, wait, it also had that lovely, but toxic, new car smell. A new report is making people think twice about new cars, and what chemicals lurk inside...

I bought a new car last year, and I didn't think twice about whether my new vehicle would be a health threat. After all, it had airbags! And seat warmers! But, wait, it also had that lovely, but toxic, new car smell. A new report is making people think twice about new cars, and what chemicals lurk inside...

We've known for sometime now that the "new car smell" we all know and love could actually be a toxic mix of chemicals that aren't so good for us. But, until now, it wasn't known which cars had the most intense chemical cocktail wafting from their slick interiors.

"Research shows that vehicle interiors contain a unique cocktail of hundreds of toxic chemicals that off-gas in small, confined spaces," Jeff Gearhart, research director at the Ecology Center, said in a written statement. "Since these chemicals are not regulated, consumers have no way of knowing the dangers they face. Our testing is intended to expose those dangers and encourage manufacturers to use safer alternatives."

The Ecology Center tested more than 200 of the most popular new cars for the various chemicals that "off gas" inside.

They identified more than 275 different chemicals wafting inside cars in their study--everything from brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and chlorine used for polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

From CBS: "The researchers said BFR exposure has been tied to thyroid problems, learning and memory impairment, decreased fertility, and behavioral changes while PVCs which contain chemicals called phthalates are linked to decreased fertility, and problems with the liver, testes, thyroid, ovaries, kidneys, and blood."

Yikes! A bike is sounding better and better to me...

So, which cars are the worst? The Mini Cooper, VW Eos and Kia Sportage all made the list. To see the full report, click here.

The healthiest car? The 2012 Honda Civic!

Did you purchase a new car recently? Did you notice a strong smell inside?